


Reunification

by treya_barton



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 06:30:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: I wrote this awhile back for CharlieNozaki's birthday on Tumblr and decided to go ahead and post it on AO3 as well.  Basically it was my interpretation of what would happen when Sanji and Zoro finally talk after he returns to the rest of the crew.





	Reunification

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CharlieNozaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlieNozaki/gifts).



Zoro couldn’t believe that witch had gotten him into this situation.  The crew had just all reunited and were docking at what appeared to be an uninhabited island in order to recuperate.  When Zoro tried to sneak off with a bottle of sake, not feeling like dealing with the expanding and excitable crew, Robin had cheerfully brought it to the cook’s attention.  Who was, really, the last person Zoro wanted to deal with.

This of course had sent the cook on a rampage and he had chased Zoro down, yelling about stealing his good sake and demanding he return it at once. Zoro ignored him and hightailed it away from the rest of the crew who were laughing at their crewmates’ return to their old shenanigans.  The two of them hadn’t interacted much after Sanji returned, and if Zoro was honest with himself he had been avoiding the cook.  Which is why he suspected their resident archaeologist had started the whole incident in the first place.  Sanji, of course, chased after him, and it didn’t take long for the two of them to get utterly lost.  Zoro didn’t understand how it was possible, since the island was pretty small, but the two of them could no longer see the ship anymore or sense any of their crewmates through haki. 

Once Zoro noticed that, he had finally slowed to a stop and began to focus on his surroundings.  Sanji stopped as well, looking confused for a short moment, but soon seemed to come to the same realization once his temper cooled.  Zoro plopped himself on the ground, closing his good eye and using meditation to see if he could expand the range of his haki senses.  Really, he was better at using it in combat, and was hoping that the cook who had a wider range in the sensory version would have better luck because he wasn’t sensing anything. 

Next to him, Sanji lit a cigarette, and lapsed into contemplative silence as he expanded his haki as well.  Zoro immediately felt relaxed upon the scent of the cigarette smoke drifting toward him, realizing that in the time the crew had been split and later when Sanji had left he had actually missed it.  The smell was somehow soothing for Zoro, reminding him of his irritating but reliable nakama that he trusted as much as himself to protect the crew, until he had broken that trust by leaving.  This realization irritated him, especially due to an underlying connotation of why Zoro had been so upset when Sanji had left that he was still trying to ignore, and he suddenly felt like starting another squabble.  However, once he felt the strength of Sanji’s haki as he spread it out, he hesitated. 

Zoro had heard Luffy and the others share some stories about what they had been through when he left to get their cook back, but Sanji had been reticent on the matter and had deflected any inquiries that had come his way.  The only thing Zoro knew is that Sanji hated his family name and insisted they refer to him as Blackleg still, since he considered Zeff his real father.  It was Sanji’s increase in power that he was currently feeling that let him know how much pain the other man had been through in their time apart.  And it really pissed him off.  “You’re not nearly as smart as you think you are,” Zoro grumbled, opening his eye and staring into the distance.  He could see Sanji out of the corner of his eye, dressed impeccably in one of his suits as always.

Sanji took a drag of his cigarette, and Zoro noted that he was now watching him perceptively.  That also irritated him, for he had meant to get a rise out of the other man and hopefully get a spar in so he could ignore the roiling feelings beneath his calm façade.  “That’s funny coming from the marimo who got us lost like usual,” Sanji replied calmly, and Zoro grunted.

Sanji slid down to sit next to Zoro, surprising the other man who didn’t think Sanji would want to mess up his suit.  Sanji reached over for the bottle of sake, producing a bottle opener from his pocket, and Zoro quietly handed it over.  While Sanji opened it, he casually stated, “I believe the others are currently holding in their haki in order to make it difficult to find them. I can sense them but they’re very faint.  In retrospect, this was probably all Robin-chan’s idea.”

He took a swig of the sake, before handing the bottle back to Zoro who did the same.  They were silent for several moments before Sanji spoke again.  “I thought when I returned, I’d at least get a lecture from you,” he said quietly, and Zoro turned to face him.  He saw the guilty expression on the cook’s face and realized that it probably bothered him that Zoro had been avoiding him.  The cook had tried to seek him out the night he had returned, but Zoro had hidden himself away in the crow’s nest and had made it pretty apparent he hadn’t wanted to talk.  He had been too conflicted.

Zoro gripped the bottle of sake for a moment, taking a long sip before handing it back to Sanji again.  “I think you’ve already beat yourself up over it more than I could, shit-cook,” he admitted.  “You did abandon the crew,” he continued.  “I can’t forgive you for that, no matter the reason.”

Sanji nodded, staring at the ground.  He had placed the bottle of sake between them instead of drinking and his arms dangled loosely on his knees.  “You’re supposed to rely on us,” Zoro continued, voicing some of his irritation when Sanji had left.  “Rely on the strength of your captain and on your nakama.”  Sanji flinched.  “You always keep your shit to yourself and never rely on any of us,” he continued now that he was on a roll.  “You always look out for everyone else, see to our needs, but disappear the moment you have a problem.”  He was staring at Sanji now, who stared back in surprise, for Zoro’s voice had uncharacteristically cracked.  Zoro clenched his jaw in irritation, for he hadn’t wanted any of those feelings that he kept hidden to surface.

“I didn’t want any of you to get hurt,” Sanji replied after a few moments.  “Those people, they scared me more than anything else in this world.”  He was staring off into the woods now, and Zoro could tell by his pained expression that he was reflecting on terrible memories.  “I also didn’t want you to see my weakness,” he sighed. 

“Marimo, you were wrong though,” Sanji continued.  Zoro looked confused for a moment.  “I don’t think of myself as particularly smart,” Sanji laughed bitterly, and Zoro frowned.

“When you’re not being a dumbass, other than probably Robin you’re the smartest on the crew,” Zoro bluntly replied.  Sanji looked surprised by the compliment, and Zoro followed up with, “Too bad most of the time you’re a dumbass,” with a grin.

Sanji huffed in reply, while Zoro snickered at his expense.  Sanji then brought up something that surprised Zoro.  “Luffy told me when we were on our way back, that although you pretended you didn’t care that I had left, you seem worried.”  Zoro’s face twitched – he’d have to punch Luffy again it seemed.  “Which is why when I got back I wanted to see you,” Sanji added.  “I wanted to apologize.  I should never make a nakama worry.”  Sanji stared forward as he said it, tension obvious in his frame, as he lit another cigarette to relax.

Zoro reached over and took a sip from the sake again.  “Don’t apologize, curly,” he grunted, “it’s kind of gross coming from you.”

Sanji glared at him, but before he could reply Zoro added, “Next time just rely on me.”  It was his turn to look away, a slight blush on his cheeks, and Sanji stared in surprise.  Zoro had said “me” and not the captain or the crew.  And now Sanji knew exactly why the other man was so upset. 

Sanji felt warmth spread through his chest, and a heartfelt smile suddenly graced his lips that Zoro tried his best to ignore.  “As long as I’m not relying on you for directions, mosshead,” he casually replied, and Zoro stuttered a curse in reply.

Sanji then gracefully took the sake from Zoro and took another swig before standing up and stretching.  “Robin-chan must have been watching us, because I can feel the crew again,” he replied.  Zoro realized that he could sense them too and also stood up before dusting dirt from his green coat, looking over enviously at Sanji who appeared to somehow have magically avoided getting any on his suit.  He didn’t know how the bastard did it.  “Make sure to follow me closely so you don’t get yourself lost again,” Sanji added cheerfully, handing the sake back to Zoro and heading off in the direction of their nakama’s haki.

“We weren’t lost!” Zoro grumbled as he followed along, smiling now that Sanji couldn’t see it at the added bounce to the blonde’s step.  It looked like a weight had been taken off the other man’s shoulders, and Zoro was glad that _he_ was the one to do it instead of another member of the crew.  Not that he’d ever admit to it.


End file.
